Boobirt Stylish but barely mediocre overall

Protraph Lack of good storyline.

Marketic It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

Celia A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Robert J. Maxwell There is nothing new under the sun or under the clouds for that matter.Here are two quick ways to tell if a suspense thriller is going to be aimed at those above the mental age of fourteen or below. These tests are infallible. (1) The camera is perched behind someone's shoulder. The performer picks up a mirror and looks into it. If his reflected face is staring out of the mirror directly at YOU, the viewer, instead of at himself, the audience is still enjoying its physical growth spurt. (2) The villain has set up a time bomb, devised to explode at a certain moment. If anyone views its internal milieu, there is a red digital read out that counts the hours, minutes, and seconds left. Why the bomb maker would want to add this convenient fillip remains a mystery to all but the screenwriters. If both warning signs are present, don't expect much in the way of sophistication. If only one is present, the movie enters liminal status.I don't see that there is any need to run through this tired plot with its tired characters. You know the troublemaker aboard every airplane in jeopardy? He's the guy who's angry and frightened, gets in everyone's hair, demands to know what's going on. He's here, along with the heroic pilot, the youngsters who fall in love under stress, the anxious flight attendants. I missed the little old lady whose prayers save the airplane though. And it's too bad they couldn't have the sick kid aboard, the one that needs a kidney transplant or a transfusion of a rare blood type. Their absence leaves the viewer feeling incomplete, a jigsaw puzzle complete except for half a dozen missing pieces.Not that the film doesn't have its good points. Ernie Hudson has a nice role, for instance, and he's a fine supporting actor. He gave me a good deal of reassurance when he and I were performing in "Weeds" together. "Weeds" is so good, so sublime, that no English word can describe it. It's just superb. (That's the French "superb", not the English.) Except for one essential to the story, we're at least spared multiple back stories of the passengers. And the airplane didn't have to fly through a CGI-created thunderstorm, probably because the budget didn't allow it.Still, it's a thought-provoking movie. The thought it provokes is: "Man was never meant to fly."

little-miss-chocolate I only saw the last 15 minutes of this film, so I cannot say what the overall film was like, however, the part I saw was very good. The acting was very impressive, and the fear was very believable. I was very scared, just from that fifteen minutes, and when it finished I realised that I was shaking, I had been so frightened. Usually when I am channel hopping, I don't stop at films. This one had me gripped from the moment I selected its channel. I, personally recommend it to anyone who likes lots of tension in a film. The only down side is, I never want to go on an American airline now. I really want to see the rest of what promises to be a great film.

Bcaldc10 Could it be possible for a film to have any more worn cliches as this film? Another airliner in trouble. Another heroic captain saving the passengers from certain doom. There was absolutely zero suspense and zero originality here. As the plane's pilot Jack Wagner was awful. All smirk and smarm and no hint of realism. When making your viewing reservations be sure to book another flight. This one was grounded for mechanical defects.

jjdubs-2 Spoiler: At one point the plane has descended below 5000 feet and no problems. Did the plane have enough fuel to make it to, say, Denver or some other city or field with a higher elevation? That way the plane could land without triggering the device.